Attain vs Accomplish - What's the difference?

Accomplish is a synonym of attain.

In transitive terms the difference between attain and accomplish

is that attain is to reach or come to, by progression or motion; to arrive at while accomplish is to bring to an issue of full success; to effect; to perform; to execute fully; to fulfill; as, to accomplish a design, an object, a promise.

attain

English

Verb

(en verb)

To accomplish; to achieve.

To attain such a high level of proficiency requires hours of practice each day.

To get at the knowledge of; to ascertain.

* Fuller

not well attaining his meaning

To reach or come to, by progression or motion; to arrive at.

* Milton

Canaan he now attains .

* Bible, Psalms cxxxix. 6

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I can not attain unto it.

To come or arrive, by motion, growth, bodily exertion, or efforts toward a place, object, state, etc.; to reach.

* Bible, Acts xxvii. 12

if by any means they might attain to Phenice

* Sir Walter Scott

Nor nearer might the dogs attain .

* Cowper

to see your trees attain to the dignity of timber

* J. R. Green

Few boroughs had as yet attained to power such as this.

To reach in excellence or degree; to equal.

(obsolete) To overtake.

(Francis Bacon)

accomplish

English

(Webster 1913)

Verb

To finish successfully.

To complete, as time or distance.

* That He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. - Daniel 9:2

* He had accomplished half a league or more. -

To bring to an issue of full success; to effect; to perform; to execute fully; to fulfill; as, to accomplish a design, an object, a promise.

* This that is written must yet be accomplished in me - Luke 22:37

(archaic) To equip or furnish thoroughly; hence, to complete in acquirements; to render accomplished; to polish.

* The armorers accomplishing the knights - Shakespeare, Henry V, IV-chorus

* It [the moon] is fully accomplished for all those ends to which Providence did appoint it. -

* These qualities . . . go to accomplish a perfect woman. -

(obsolete) To gain; to obtain

:(Shakespeare)

Synonyms

* do, perform, fulfill, realize, effect, effectuate, complete, consummate, execute, achieve, perfect, equip, furnish, carry out

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